Heading into the offseason, there were some who felt running back was a need for the Jacksonville Jaguars despite Leonard Fournette registering his second 1,000-yard season in 2019. The reason for that was a mix of his struggles finding the end zone and occasional issues with the front office, but they managed to retain him, even with trade discussions occurring before the draft.
Even with plans to proceed with Fournette as their No. 1, the team brought in Chris Thompson in May, giving their young running backs room a player veteran with seven years of experience. However, according to a recent report, it appears Thompson isn’t the only veteran they looked into this offseason.
Per NFL Network’s Mike Silver, the Jags had some form of interest in former Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman. He also added that the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles were also amongst those interested in adding the former Florida State Seminole.
The Jets, Eagles and Jaguars are teams that have previously expressed interest in Freeman, who remains unsigned. @AroundTheNFL
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) July 13, 2020
It’s unclear exactly when or if the Jags still have interest, but it feels as though the signing of Thompson could hurt their chances of acquiring Freeman now.
With Jags general manager Dave Caldwell formerly working for the Falcons, it’s not exactly a surprise that the Jags looked into him as he remains close with the GM who drafted Freeman, Thomas Dimitroff. The Falcons drafted the veteran in 2014 and he spent six seasons with the team before they released him in March.
While in Atlanta, Freeman was able to accumulate 3,972 career rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. He also was a two-time Pro Bowler (2015-16) and a second-team All-Pro (2015) in the process.